Board continues multilot tree‑removal application in Madera Phase 3 to Dec. 2 after residents raise canopy and flooding concerns
November 04, 2025 | St. Augustine, St. Johns County , Florida
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Toll Brothers' representatives asked the board to approve tree removals that the company said were necessary to construct a set of single‑family homes under stem‑wall construction and to meet recorded plats and water‑management permits. Company consultants said they had prepared a recent arborist inventory and overlaid proposed building footprints (including common plan footprints and optional pools) to minimize tree impacts. The applicants said they will first present the five specific lots already under contract and that those overlays reduce removals compared with a blanket footprint.
More than 90 public notices opposed the removals and more than 130 public comments were filed; many residents also sent comments that staff categorized as outside the mailed notice radius but still provided to the board. Public commenters raised concerns about loss of tree canopy, impacts to wildlife (including spoonbills and other species), the potential for increased flooding after clear‑cutting, and removal of underbrush near the marsh. Several residents said they had not received adequate notice or time to review materials.
Staff recommended continuing the application so the applicant could deliver lot‑specific site plans and refined tree‑preservation and mitigation proposals. The board granted the continuance to the Dec. 2 meeting and requested the applicant present the five contracted lots first with full arborist packet and surveyed overlays.
Action: Motion to continue PCB2025‑0085 (Madera Phase 3 significant trees/tree canopy removal) to Dec. 2, 2025 for additional lot‑by‑lot information and an updated arborist plan. Vote: 5–0.
Why it matters: The application involves canopy and conservation issues affecting a large planned neighborhood and triggered substantial resident opposition; the continuance delays any approvals and requires the applicant to produce detailed lot‑level plans and mitigation proposals for board review.
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